Read Online Home Before Sundown by Barbara Hannay - Free Book Online Page B

grass towards them.
    â€˜Roy, what a darling!’ In a heartbeat, Bella was squatting to greet the eager pup, rubbing his ears. ‘Aren’t you a beautiful boy?’ He truly was the cutest thing with a rich brown coat and ginger points above his huge, bright blue eyes. ‘I don’t think I’ve ever seen such a beauty. What’s his name?’
    Roy scowled. ‘That’s a sore point.’
    â€˜Why? What’s he called?’
    With a hefty sigh, Roy stuck his thumbs in his belt loops and rolled his eyes, dramatically, skywards. ‘George bloody Clooney.’
    Bella stared at him in laughing disbelief. ‘George Clooney?’
    The puppy leapt to attention, tail wagging madly.
    â€˜See?’ scowled Roy. ‘He won’t bloody answer to anything else.’
    â€˜How hilarious. How did that happen?’
    â€˜Sarah and Ellie fell in love with him. He’s supposed to be a working dog, but the way they’re carrying on they’ll spoil him useless.’
    Bella smiled. It was very easy to imagine how smitten Gabe’s younger sisters must have been.
    â€˜At first young Ellie wanted to call him Justin Bieber,’ said Roy.
    â€˜Justin Bieber doesn’t have blue eyes.’
    â€˜Doesn’t he?’ Roy shrugged. ‘I wouldn’t know.’
    â€˜Neither does George Clooney, for that matter.’
    â€˜Well, the girls were sure the pup needed a celebrity name, and for some flamin’ reason, George Clooney stuck.’ He grunted his disgust. ‘Now it’s the only bloody name the mutt will answer to. If we try to shorten it to George or call him anything sensible, he plays deaf.’
    Bella couldn’t help laughing. The pup was truly beautiful and somehow George Clooney seemed ridiculously right for him. ‘Ooh, you gorgeous fellow.’ She rubbed her nose against the dampness of his. ‘I can tell you now, you had me at woof.’
    It was only as the puppy bounced away again that she noticed a second pair of boots had arrived to stand beside her in the dust. Startled, she looked up to see Gabe.
    From this angle he was all denim jeans and belt buckle, but she didn’t miss the emotion in his eyes – a fleeting flash of pain laced by a flare of heat.
    The impression was gone in a blink, but Bella felt its impact deep inside and she was swamped by unexpected confusion. She was blushing as she stood and the laughter that had been bubbling evaporated. ‘Hello, Gabe.’
    â€˜Good morning.’ His face was once more a careful mask.
    Roy was watching them both with wide-eyed curiosity. Bella supposed that even an elderly outback bachelor could sense the sudden crackle and tension in the air.
    Despite the scorching heat she felt a chill.
    â€˜As you can see I’ve had the privilege of meeting George Clooney.’ She dredged up a jaunty smile and to her relief Gabe almost smiled in return.
    â€˜He’s quite a show-off,’ he said.
    â€˜So I guess he suits his name.’
    â€˜I guess. But it’s going to be crazy when we’re out mustering, calling to George Clooney.’
    Bella laughed. ‘Heel, George Clooney. Get behind, George Clooney.’
    This time Gabe smiled properly, and for a moment, his eyes were lit from within. The skin at their corners crinkled and Bella caught a glimpse, at last, of her old friend.
    Out of the blue she found herself remembering another Cute Animal Moment from years and years ago, a happy flashback to their childhood, when her father had brought her over to Redman Downs.
    While her dad and Gabe’s father had discussed cattle business, Gabe had taken her round the back of the homestead, to a corner of the back verandah and a box lined with straw. Even though she was a girl and years younger than Gabe, he’d always treated her with way more respect than Luke ever had.
    Inside the straw-lined box a pale spiny bundle had curled, asleep.
    â€˜What is